He Plays No Favorites
by FonzFan82
Summary: It is true He plays no favorites. One day God comes to Helga and tells her she's His favorite and to publish the woman's version of Song of Songs. Sequel from 'The Conversation.' Title from Acts chapter 10.
1. Chapter 1

Helga Pataki and her classmates were sitting in the bus after school had ended for the weekend. As usual, Helga was sitting next to her best friend, Phoebe.

"What are you going to do this weekend, Helga?" Phoebe asked.

"Just the usual. I got started on a new writing project."

"You did? How long has that been around?"

"The idea? Oh, maybe a week or so. I'm not going to spread it around just yet."

"Maybe you'll tell when you're good and ready."

Helga nodded when Phoebe said that.

"I will let you know when I think the time is right. It's on the romantic side."

"Is that the only hint I'm getting for now?"

"Yes," Helga answered with a mysterious type of voice.

"By the tone of your voice, Helga, you sound mysterious," Arnold said, who was listening to the conversation.

"Who asked you, football head?"

"Sorry. I can tell by the voice it sounds mysterious you don't want to tell about your new project."

"That's right, football head. It'll remain a mystery for now."

"Is your new project involving poetry?" Sid asked.

"I'm not saying a word about it," Helga said as she zipped her mouth.

"I agree with you, Arnold. She does want to hide something for now," Gerald said.

The bus stopped and Helga, Arnold, and Gerald got off the bus since they were going to walk home from the bus stop.

"What are you doing this weekend?" Gerald asked Arnold.

Recently, Arnold had shown interest in God and His Word.

"I'm not sure. Maybe get together with some friends from the church for a Bible Study."

"What the heck is that?" Helga asked with interest.

"A Bible Study is when a group of people get together and discuss things," Phoebe answered.

"That's right, Phoebe," Arnold said.

"What kind of morons would want to do that creepy thing?" Helga asked.

"Religious people like doing it. It's not creepy, Helga," Arnold said.

"You don't need Jesus Christ to do a Bible Study," Helga said.

"Of course you do. How else are you going to seek Him?" Arnold asked.

"People like me who aren't religious don't need God. God is for losers," Helga said.

It turned out she was wrong. God is Father to every living person and animals. Without God nobody would be able to get around on their own.

Helga didn't want to mention this to her friends quite yet but she was using the Bible for her new project. That's what it was involved since she had been hearing God lately and He was the one who gave her the idea to start working on this one. Helga used the Bible version of _The Message _but she did try the Holy Bible, but found it confusing and hard to understand, so she went to a bookstore and purchased the Bible. She'd kept it under her mattress so her parents wouldn't know she'd been doing something that involved religion. Her mother was too lazy to even care about what she was doing and Big Bob cared about himself and her older sister, Olga and nothing else.


	2. Chapter 2

In the next few days, she stayed in her bedroom with her pink notebook, pencil in hand, got so involved with her newest project. She didn't hear Miriam call her for supper.

"Where's the girl?" she heard Bob ask after Miriam returned to the kitchen.

"I'm sure she's on her way, B. She didn't answer when I called her."

"If she doesn't get her fanny in this kitchen, supper will be cold. I'm hungry now!" he said.

Bob always acted like this. In Helga's entire fifteen years, her family never noticed she was around. The only people who have been noticing her were Arnold and God. She entered the kitchen and sat in her regular spot at the kitchen table. Miriam gave Helga a glass of milk. Helga thanked her.

Helga did remember Arnold started saying grace at lunchtime in school, but she thought she'd give it a try here at the house. Miriam and Bob watched as Helga bowed her head down.

"What the heck are you doing? We're supposed to be eating," Bob said.

Helga didn't answer. All she did was say a prayer.

"Father, Thank You for creating the world, your children, and animals. Thank You for the meal Mom has made for tonight. I am also thankful for having a sister, a mother who is lazy and a father who never notices I am around. In Your Name, Amen."

"What is this? Don't tell me you're starting to get religious like that football head friend of yours," Bob said as he watched Helga raise her head.

"He may be a football head, Dad, but have you and Mom noticed anything that changed recently?" Helga asked.

"Not really, maybe except for that lousy prayer you just gave. I am very disappointed in you, young lady. I do not appreciate my daughter to call her parents lazy and all those other rude comments. We brought you here into this world. From now on, you're forbidden to call your mother lousy, even if it is true. Got it?"

"Yes, Dad," Helga answered.

"Dad, why don't you give me credit more often? All I did was say that dumb prayer. Even if you hadn't paid much attention to how much I have changed, then you better start changing a bit more and start noticing you have a daughter besides your favorite, Olga," Helga said with a scowl on her face.

"She's right, B. We should pay more attention to you," Miriam said.

"Thanks, Mom. Whenever you do, it shows you and Dad play favorites between your children. I do know one thing: God does not play favorites. He treats everyone equal, even if there are people who are women and men, bisexual and homosexual. Got that?"

Neither Bob nor Miriam said a word. Bob was busy concentrating on his food. After taking a few bites of a carrot, he started choking.

"Are you all right, B?" Miriam asked.

Helga said a silent prayer without her parents hearing her and she prayed to God and asked if he could stop Bob's choking. It did work. God did help the hiccups go away when she asked for it.

"Thank You, Father," Helga said aloud.

"What was that?" Bob asked after hearing Helga say a religious word.

"Nothing, Dad."

"It didn't sound like nothing. You better get rid of this religious business out of my house, and if you don't, you'll be punished for a month!" Bob said in a tone of voice he always used.

Helga had been used to Bob's tone of voice since she was born but almost always obeyed him immediately. After she and her parents finished eating, Helga got up from her chair and put her plate and glass in the sink. After that, she walked up to her bedroom. On her way to her bedroom, she heard Bob talking.

"Since when did religion get involved with the Patakis?" he asked.

"Us Patakis do not allow the Bible when I was growing up. We didn't need to believe to go to boring church every Sunday. If that girl's hiding a Bible somewhere in this house, I'm going to throw it away."

Helga couldn't believe what she had just heard. Good thing she'd hidden her Bible under her mattress. She sure hoped neither one of her parents would come in this bedroom and find it to throw it away. Whenever she was in school, Miriam would come up and wash her laundry. Miriam was supposed to do her laundry tomorrow since she had school.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning after Helga had been out of the house for five minutes, Miriam walked up to her bedroom and went through Helga's hamper to grab the clothes out and wash them. Miriam did look around Helga's room and it did change a little since her last visit to collect the laundry. It was on the wall by her bed. Miriam saw there was a picture of Jesus with the twelve apostles. Miriam gasped. Bob came in rushing to find out what made his wife scream.

"What is it, Miriam?" Bob asked after walking into the open bedroom.

"Look at the wall, B."

He did as told and groaned.

"Why doesn't the girl listen to what I tell her? I think we can wait till later today and get rid of that awful picture."

"I wouldn't do that, B. She does need the privacy," Miriam said to him.

He did look back at the last time he was here in Helga's room and he got into trouble for it since he was searching to find some missing hats. After leaving the beeper store, Bob ran for sheriff and had been in office for about almost eight years.

He decided to let Miriam walk out of Helga's door first since her hands were full of dirty clothes. He didn't shut the door immediately but decided to get rid of the picture Helga had on the wall and try to find the Bible and throw it away in the dumpster. Of course she would find out about that on her own.

School dragged by that day. Helga was bored in math class, so she had bought along the writing project she mentioned to her friends the day before but did it without carrying the Bible and didn't want to get caught there from teachers since she wouldn't be paying attention to what the teachers were saying.

It was a couple of seconds till the end of the day, then Helga would go up to her bedroom and work more on her new project.

When Miriam put the dirty dishes in the kitchen sink, Bob walked out of the kitchen and hurried up the stairs to Helga's room. He left Helga's bedroom door open to see if there was really a Bible around this house, even if Miriam did tell him Helga had her rights to keep this private, but he wanted to see for himself if she was lying or not.

He thought he'd check Helga's bookshelf and go from there, so he did. The Bible wasn't seen in the bookshelf. Her bookshelf was full of books that were filled with poetry and nothing else. Since the bookshelf was all clear, Big Bob thought he'd try her dresser drawer. Just like Helga's bookshelf, the dresser drawer did tell Big Bob that the Bible was nowhere to be seen.

"She must've thrown it in the dumpster," Big Bob said aloud to himself.

Since he was already out of ideas in Helga's room, he thought he'd try searching for the Bible in the dumpster that was in the garage. So he did just that.

Downstairs, Miriam heard Bob slam Helga's bedroom door. She didn't even want to think Bob wanted to search for the Word in Helga's room, but of course she warned him. As sheriff, Bob was doing pretty well on protecting Hillwood since the town elected him four years ago, but on this search of the Bible, he could probably fail on looking for it. Miriam thought she'd share this with Helga. Of course, Helga would be angry when Miriam told her about Bob going through her private things.


	4. Chapter 4

At lunch, Helga sat with Phoebe as she usually did, but wanted to talk with Arnold about something in private.

"I'll be back, Phoebe. I want to talk to ask Arnold something," Helga told her best friend.

Phoebe didn't say a word since she had food in her mouth. Phoebe watched as Gerald walked over.

"Hi, Phoebe," Gerald greeted her.

"Hi, Gerald. Would you like to sit down?" Phoebe asked.

"Thanks. Did Helga say anything about talking to Arnold?" he asked as both of them watched Helga and Arnold talk.

They also saw Arnold wiped off his mouth with a napkin.

"So, football head, mind if we have a little chat?" Helga asked.

Again Arnold wiped his napkin across his face.

"What about, Helga?" he asked when putting the napkin down again.

"Uh, it's a bit hard to explain. You were baptized not too long ago, right?" she asked.

"What about it?" he asked her.

"Well, I think I'm hearing voices lately, but it's got nothing to do with nightmares. I'm not sure how to put it, but this voice I'm hearing recently is a voice you can't hear in person. What do you think it is?"

Helga wanted to see what Arnold thought.

"So it isn't a voice that's not familiar to you?"

"That's right. Any ideas what that certain voice could be?" Helga asked as she watched Arnold put the finishing touches of his chicken sandwich.

Once he'd finished swallowing, he said, "I think I might know who the voice is that you've been hearing," he told her.

"What?"

"It's God," he answered.

Helga never thought it was Him she'd been hearing in the past two and a half weeks. No wonder she felt strange.

"I didn't think of it that way before. Maybe you could be right. Do you want to hang out with me sometime and you can hear that voice to hear it for yourself?" she asked.

"I guess I probably could. Wheat time of day do you hear it?" Arnold asked her.

"Right after I finish with supper," Helga answered.

"When you hear that voice next time, give me a call so I can hear it for myself," Arnold told Helga.

"I sure will," she said once the bell rang told them it was time for the afternoon to begin. Helga hoped quietly to herself Arnold would be wrong, but she sure did hope he was wrong. There was no need to keep fingers crossed.


	5. Chapter 5

The next evening, Helga was working on a math problem when she heard a voice. It was the type of voice you couldn't hear in person.

"Helga," the voice said for a third time that night. She looked around her room. There was nobody in the bedroom except herself.

"Who is this?" Helga asked, still looking all over her bedroom.

She could hear the voice loud and clear.

"I am God. I speak with your friend, Arnold," He told her.

She silently thought, _'If the football head is talking with the Lord, why is it happening to me?'_

"All right, pal, I don't want to sit around all night and hear a voice I don't recognize. Why don't you spend some time with the football head and leave me alone?" Helga said to Him.

"I'm not going to disturb Arnold anymore this evening. He retired to bed a couple of minutes ago."

"Can't you spend the night at that creepy boarding house of his instead of my bedroom?" Helga asked.

"I'm afraid not, my child, but I do look after him, even when he's sleeping."

"Do you do this to everybody?" Helga asked.

"Of course I do," He answered.

Helga remembered what her last talk with Arnold about Christ. Helga could still hear Him even if she couldn't see him face – to – face. The Lord was silent for a moment or two as she sent a quick text message to Arnold, letting him know God had a talk with her. She ended the text as: _'If you answer this, I'd appreciate it.' _Then she hit the SEND button.

"I have a message for you, Helga," the Lord went on.

"What's that? I don't need a scary voice I don't see in this bedroom and scaring people half to death! My father wants to do nothing that involves You!" Helga yelled a second time.

What she'd first said was true about Big Bob.

Then she heard a knock or two at her door. She got up from her desk chair to open the bedroom door.

"What's going on up here, dear?" Miriam asked.

Before answering her mother, Helga sighed of relief aloud it wasn't Bog Bob investigating the racket.

"Nothing to worry about, Mom. I was just talking on my phone," Helga lied.

"All right, Helga. It's getting a little bit late. I think you should try to start thinking about going to bed," Miriam told her.

"I will, Mom. I want to finish the last of my math," she said.

"Well, good – night, Helga."

Helga closed the door after Miriam and sighed once more, thankful it wasn't Bob. As she closed the door, she heard him ask, "Did she tell you why she yelled?"

"She only told me she was talking on her phone," Miriam answered.

"Something doesn't sound right. Maybe she's hiding something."

Miriam didn't reply.


	6. Chapter 6

The next afternoon at lunch, Helga wanted to eat with Arnold again, so they could talk about the message God recently shared with her. Arnold didn't seem to mind eating with Helga again, so once again Gerald ate with Phoebe.

"I did receive another scary message, football head. You said so yourself to give you a call once I heard Him," Helga told Arnold.

"I did say that, Helga. Did the Lord tell you anything what this message was?" Arnold asked.

"No, football head. He hasn't told me anything," Helga replied.

When Helga finished her sentence, Arnold came up with an idea.

"I have an idea, Helga."

"What is it, football head? Make it good," Helga told him.

"Why don't we do it this way: I come over to your house over the weekend and see if you actually are hearing and talking to Jesus Christ."

"That's about the most stupidest plan I ever had heard, football head. What would make Big Bog think if I invited a boy over to spend the night? Maybe I can tell Bob that you're staying over to help out on homework."

"That would be lying, Helga. Actually, it is a sin. I don't want you to do that if I'm going to sleep over. Tell the truth instead," Arnold said.

"Okay, football head. Would you be able to sleep over on Friday or Saturday since you're a new believer to go to church every week?"

"Friday night would work best for me, Helga."

"All right, football head. It will freak Bob out if he actually let me have a sleepover with a boy."

Arnold shrugged, but didn't say a word. He and Helga talked more about their plan. Helga wasn't ready to bring up and tell him she might give him a short preview on the Song of Songs project. She would wait to do this when he came over for the evening. It did give Helga something to figure out what Helga was changing. This she'd like to see for herself.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, which was now Friday, Helga joined Bob and Miriam for breakfast before heading off to school.

"Mom, Dad, do you mind if I ask you something?" she asked.

"What is it, dear?" Miriam asked.

"Today is Friday," Helga began.

"Of course it's Friday, little lady," Bob told his daughter.

"Go on, Helga. Ask your question," Miriam told Helga.

"Do you two mind if a friend spends the night?" Helga asked.

"Of course, Helga. Your friends are welcome anytime," Miriam said.

"Who is the friend who's sleeping over?" Bob asked.

"Just a friend from school," Helga answered.

"May I ask who is coming over?" Big Bob asked.

"You know him, Dad. He's the football head," Helga told him.

Bob choked on his morning coffee. Helga watched her mother pat his back, saying he'd be okay. He finally calmed down.

"Why don't you have what's – her – name over instead? I don't want my daughter having a sleepover with a boy," Bob said.

Miriam told Helga it was okay Arnold stayed for the night.

"Thanks, Mom," Helga said.

"I do have one condition," Bob told Helga.

"What?"

"If that football head friend of yours sleeps over, he won't be sharing your bed. He will be sleeping in Olga's room."

"You should know by now Dad, I don't plan to sleep with him anytime soon."

After she said that, Helga stood up from her chair. It was time she take her backpack and go to school. She didn't bother saying good – bye to either of her parents. She went up to her bedroom and grabbed her backpack and walked straight out of the front door.

At lunch that same day, Helga once again sat with Arnold at lunch.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" Arnold asked.

He'd just finished saying a short prayer before eating.

"Well, it was all right you said you spend the night. Maybe I can show you a bit of my new project," she said.

"How did you talk your father into letting me stay?" Arnold asked.

Both he and Helga could feel their friends' eyes watching them.

"All I did was tell Bob I invited you over. He agreed on a condition."

"What?" he asked.

"He said it was all right you sleep over, you'll have to sleep in Olga's room. He somehow thought we were going to have sex."

"I'm not ready for sex yet," he told her.

"I'm not ready, either," she agreed.

The afternoon classes flew by quickly and Arnold was over at Helga's.

Both of them were in Helga's room. The two blondes were talking about a minute or so later. He and Helga heard a little voice.

"Helga," the voice said.

"Is this the voice you've been hearing?" Arnold asked as Helga nodded.

"I know the voice," he said.

"Well, Arnold, what a surprise it is to see you with Helga tonight," He said.

"Hello, Father," Arnold returned.

"Helga, there is something I'd like to share," the Lord continued.

"What?" Helga said.

"I said earlier, I have a message for you."

"Spit it out."

"Arnold, would you mind leaving this between Helga and I?"

"Okay, Father," he said as he stood up.

He gave out a stretch.

"I want Arnold to hear this, so he's staying."

God didn't mind.

"Helga, the message I have for you is this: I have been watching over you. I have decided you are my favorite. I'd like you to continue the Song of Songs from the woman and then take it to be published. That way people would see this was done from my favorite child."

Both Arnold and Helga looked at each other, not saying a word. After that He was already gone.

"Now you see why I asked you over, football head. I was going to share a short preview with you," she said, handing over her pink book.

He opened the book.

"Do you have a Bible so I can make sure all of this is accurate?" Arnold asked.

As he said that, she grabbed out her Bible from her mattress. She handed it over. He looked at chapter one, verses two and three. This is what Helga had written:

_Kiss me – full on the mouth!_

_Yes! For your love is better than wine,_

_Headier than your romantic oils._

_The syllables of your name murmur like a meadow brook._

_No wonder everyone loves to say your name!_

He finished reading these verses and slammed the Bible shut.

"I like it, and of course both yours and the original match. Good you job," he praised her.

It was getting late fast. Both said good – night as Arnold headed for Olga's room. Helga didn't bother putting either book back where they belonged. Before going to sleep, she pulled her locket out.

"My beloved Arnold, I have to give Big Bob credit for having you for the night. Like Bob said, we couldn't share this lonely bedroom. I would've had the guts to share a bed with you. I guess it hasn't come for the right moment for it to happen. Good – night, my precious, and sleep well," Helga said to the locket and kissed.

Then she was asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

The next day, which was Wednesday, Helga was in her bedroom. She didn't take very long to get her homework done. At least she had time on her latest project. She thought tonight was the perfect night to work more on her Song of Song project. That's what she did. Here's what she added since she last worked on it.

Continued from chapter 1 (Chapter 1:4-7)

Take me away with you! Let's run off together!

An elopement with my King – Lover!

We'll celebrate, we'll sing,

We'll make great music.

Yes! For your love is better than vintage wine.

Everyone loves you – of course! And why not?

5:6

I am weathered but still elegant.

Oh, dear sisters in Jerusalem,

Weather – darkened like Kedar desert tents,

Time – softened like Solomon's Temple hangings.

Don't look down on me because I'm dark,

Darkened by the sun's harsh rays.

My brothers ridiculed me and sent me to work in the fields.

They made me care for the face of the earth,

But I had no time to care for my own face.

7

Tell me where you're working

-I love you so much-

Tell me where you're tending your flocks,

Where you let them rest at noontime,

Why should I be the one left out,

Outside the orbit of your tender care?

Helga put the pen down and read what she had copied from the Bible. She didn't care if Bob kept trying to find her Bible, but she hoped he wouldn't hit the jackpot. She'd like to see this for herself if Bob would think harder to where she kept it. This she'd let him figure it out for himself. _'This I gotta see,' _she thought to herself. Then she put the Bible back in its hiding place.

Note: Thank you all who have added me and my stories to favorites/alerts and reviews. I haven't forgotten about posting the newest update to 'The Conversation' but it's been stuck for a while but it will be updated as often as it can.


	9. Chapter 9

Helga decided to get into the next chapter of the project she recently started working on. She'd never expected on publishing any of her works into books. She never even thought about becoming famous. She was doing this because the Lord had told her so.

2 3-17

As an apricot tree stands out in the forest,

My lover stands above the young men in town

All I want is to sit in his shade,

To taste and savor his delicious love.

He took me home with him for a festive meal,

But his eyes feasted on me!

Oh! Give me something refreshing to eat – and quickly!

Apricots, raisins – anything. I'm about to faint with love!

His left hand cradles my head,

And his right arm encircles my waist!

Oh, let me warn you, sisters in Jerusalem,

By the gazelles, yes, by all the wild deer:

Don't excite love, don't stir it up,

Until the time is ripe – and you're ready.

Look! Listen! There's my lover!

Do you see him coming?

Vaulting the mountains,

Leaping the hills.

My lover is like a gazelle, graceful;

Like a young stag, virile.

Look at him there, on tiptoe at the gate,

All ears, all eyes – ready!

My lover has arrived

And he's speaking to me!

Then you must protect me from the foxes,

Foxes on the prowl,

Foxes who would like nothing better

Than to get into our flowering garden,

Delighting into flowers

Until down breathes in light and night slips away.

Turn to me, dear lover.

Come like a gazelle.

Leap like a wild stag

On delectable mountains!

Helga saw that she had just finished the second chapter of Song of Songs. She'd been liking this project so far, but could wait to see what it would look like once she put it altogether. She flipped through the pages of the book she'd been using in the Word. She had about five or six chapters left. This project to her sounded like it had just started and she would be done soon. _Wait until the football head hears about this one, _she thought to herself once she slammed the Bible shut.


End file.
